Soups having both water-saturated and substantially dry or crunchy components are well known. Such soups typically comprise water-saturated meats and/or bone, vegetables, seasonings, etc. and crunchy croutons, crackers, noodles, etc.
Although such soups are very popular and desired in the marketplace, their consumption is typically limited to the home and restaurants wherein the water-saturated components are prepared and served generally separately from the crunchy components thereof, thus preserving the crunchiness thereof. The crunchy components of the soup are typically only added thereto immediately prior to its cooking, if necessary, and consumption.
The components of such soups are sold separately in grocery stores. Thus, a consumer purchases sliced cake bar separately from meat and/or bone soup, then combines the sliced cake bar with the meat and/or bone soup at home. The sliced cake bar and the meat and/or bone soup are then cooked and immediately served.
Previous attempts to provide both the water-saturated soup components and the crunchy soup components together in a common container, i.e., a can, which is sold by grocery stores, supermarkets, and the like have failed in that the crunchy components of the soup become water-saturated and thus lose the desired crunchiness.
Such canned soups inherently require a substantial length of time between their manufacture and final consumption. This length of time is more than adequate for the crunchy components of the soup to absorb a substantial quantity of water, thereby becoming well saturated and thus losing their crunchiness.
The consumption of such soups is particularly popular in North and South Korea. For approximately the past 100 years, almost all North and South Koreans have eaten duk kuk or rice soup (one example of such soups) as the first meal on New Year's Day.
According to contemporary practice, all of the components, i.e., rice cake, meat, bone, and vegetables, of the duk kuk are boiled together, thus requiring that the soup be consumed within approximately 30 minutes after preparation. After approximately 30 minutes, the normally crunchy component of the duk kuk soup becomes water saturated and clumps together, thus rendering the soup undesirable for consumption.
As such, duk kuk soup has not been provided in a can since it must be eaten within 30 minutes of preparation since according to contemporary methodology all of the components thereof are boiled together.
Further, various frozen foods provide a noodle component and a sauce component. In order to avoid excessive and undesirable moisture absorption by the noodle component from the sauce component, such frozen foods are typically disposed within their containers so as to minimize contact between the noodle component and the sauce component thereof. For example, in a TV dinner containing spaghetti, the noodles thereof are typically disposed within the tray at one side thereof, and the sauce component is disposed at the opposite side of the tray. Thus, only minimal contact is provided between the noodle and sauce components of the TV dinner.
According to contemporary methodology, the noodles of such TV dinners are fully cooked during manufacture and are merely warmed by the consumer during final preparation for consumption.
Although such separation of the noodle and sauce components according to contemporary methodology tends to prevent excessive moisture absorption by the noodle component thereof, such separation has an undesirable effect upon the taste of the food.
A discernable and undesirable difference in taste results when the noodles of such frozen foods are cooked separately from the sauce components thereof. Thus, when a spaghetti TV dinner is cooked, the noodles, being separate from the sauce, do not absorb flavor from the sauce in a manner which results in desirable taste thereof.
If the noodles and sauce components of such TV dinners are stored together, the noodles obtain a more desirable flavor, however they expand and become undesirably soft.
As such, it would further be beneficial to provide frozen foods wherein a noodle component thereof is disposed in a configuration mixed with the sauce component thereof, such that cooking of the food results in the noodle being cooked within the sauce, so as to maximize the desirable flavor thereof.
The hot dog is a well-known food wherein a frank or wiener is disposed within a bun. Condiments such as relish, ketchup, mustard, onions, etc. are typically added to suit an individual consumer's taste. The wiener typically comprises a meat such as sausage, pork, beef, turkey, or chicken. The bun is typically comprised of white bread made from flour.
Although the preparation of such hot dogs, which generally comprises cooking the wiener and then placing the wiener and desired condiments within a bun, is relatively simple, further simplification of the preparation process is desirable. This is particularly true since hot dogs are typically thought of as convenience foods wherein the consumer gives great weight to the ability to prepare the food in a fast and easy manner.
Additionally, the storage of the various components of a hot dog present inherent problems. Although such components, i.e., the wiener and bun, can be frozen to extend the life thereof, such freezing inherently complicates the subsequent preparation process. Thus, frozen hot dogs and buns must be thawed out prior to the preparation thereof, thereby undesirably increasing the preparation time thereof.
As such, it is desirable to provide an easily and quickly prepared hot dog which can be stored for prolonged periods of time without undesirably complicating the preparation process thereof.
Thus, although the prior art has recognized to a limited extent the problem of providing frozen TV dinner soups and hot dogs, the proposed solutions have, to date, been ineffective in providing a satisfactory remedy.